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Wow I've had a busy week. Kylie's had a runny nose this week and has been extra clingy. Plus I've had a lot going on with my side work and doing errands and a bunch of other things.

Kylie had her nine month appointment with Doctor Daynes yesterday. I was so happy that she didn't have to get any immunizations this time! So surprise, she hasn't changed much since last time. She's in the 96th percentile for weight (22 lbs, 130z.), 90th for head circumference and 94th for height (29"). She has learned the art of pulling herself up. Ever since she got back from Grandma's last week we'll hear a cry, go into her nursery and she'll be giving us a huge grin while standing and hanging on the edge of her crib. So it's been more of a battle this week to get her to go to sleep because she keeps standing up in her crib!

Fabulous News!

I'm VERY EXCITED to announce (and very overjoyed I might add) that Kylie's adoption has been finalized! Whoop whoop!!!! What a long road it's been over the past few years with getting approved, interviews, the agency, caseworkers (good and bad), attorneys, a judge, and being waaaay too far from home. All adoptions are unique and have their own stories, but boy do we have one about hers! I'm so happy that what happened to us was quite unusual because I never, ever, ever, EVER want to go through what we did to get her. She of course was worth it. But I'm so happy that we finally have this piece of paper.

There's a sweet story about I found out about this document. I was up at girls camp all week. During Wednesday's night devotional at the outdoor amphitheater one of the camp hosts pulled me out of the meeting saying that Jared was down at the front gate. Heber Valley Camp are sticklers for not letting people through the gate if they aren't on a pre-approved list. Last year Jared did the same thing unexpectedly because it was our anniversary. So I was a little confused about why he would drive an hour out of his way this year to come up. He showed this to me and I was SO HAPPY!!! And of course I cried. Jared wanted to start telling people but wanted to make sure I found out first. Isn't that sweet of him?!?

Kylie had fun at my mom's this past week. Grandma figured out that she likes bananas, cream of wheat, cranberry-pomegranite juice, and doesn't like peaches. But she must have picked up some bad habits there because she hasn't been sleeping as well. Hopefully she gets back into her routine soon.

We are planning on having her blessed the first Sunday in September since some of Jared's family members will be in Delaware during August. We still haven't decided on a date to have her sealed to us but it will probably end up being around that same time. We may spread them out. We haven't decided. Now I get to go find her a dress! I may just end up making one for her since I have an idea in my mind what I want but haven't been able to find it.

I'm back!

I'm happy to report that I had a good time up at girls camp this year. But I am so beat! It was so much fun. We have such a great group of girls. A bunch of them ran up to me when I was leaving and gave me a big hug. They are so sweet. While I was there we went canoing on the lake, on a big hike, and spent a few hours at the challenge course. One part of the challenge course is an area where you climb twenty feet up a huge spruce tree, swing onto two wires that connect to another tree fifty feet away, shimmy across the wires, and then repel down from a platform. I'm not a fan of heights AT ALL and after much coercion from a few camp hosts I even managed to get myself across. All I can say is that it was SCARY and I was very happy to have my feet back on earth.

Girls Camp

We'll I'm off to Girls Camp in the morning. We will be going to Heber Valley Camp this year. Kylie will be having some fun times with Grandma Olsen up in Logan for the next couple of days.

Now that I'm packed and ready to go I'm actually pretty excited to go. Last year's girls camp was a nightmare for many reasons I won't go into. Seriously I hope it's the first and last time I'm ever put in charge of girls camp. Double serious. I've been the YW's secretary for the past year and have loved it. And it's just l.o.v.e.l.y to be able to have the stake plan girls camp this year.

Be good while I'm gone.

Family Pictures

I was so excited to see the rest of the pictures from our annual family photog stint we had two weeks ago. They were taken at Gardner Village on a VERY hot day and I was stressed out to the nines but thankfully you can't tell. I'm excited to get some prints of these. There are so many great ones. I've been pleased as peaches with Tiffany, the photographer that took these. She just started her business and I can tell that she will be very successful! She even saved my behind with bringing a few dresses of her daughters along. I had looked everywhere for a dress for Kylie and couldn't find anything that matched what we were wearing. Tiffany brought a few outfits of her daughters along and the colors look amazing!

I've had numerous people in our ward tell us that Kylie looks like Jared. What do you think?

http://www.artphotographs.blogspot.com/

The Cure for the Common Crappy Lawn

Since we bought our house our front lawn has always never done very well. It seemed like nothing I would do would help. It has always been sort of yellow and looks like it's struggling to survive. This year I bought a small package of Scotts Turf Builder 29-2-4 and applied as instructed in springtime. Low and behold it's July and my grass is GREEN! Green my friends.

4th of July

I was so excited for the Fourth of July this year! I love celebrating the birth of our nation and the freedoms that we as Americans enjoy. Plus, it is one of the few holidays that pretty much everyone can agree about celebrating regardless of political agendas, religion and cultural backgrounds. I love everything about it… the parades, the fireworks, the flag, the troops, the food etc.

I’m loving the holidays now. Interestingly holidays have an extra amount of punch to them now. I just thoroughly enjoy them more now. I know it’s because most holidays involve children in some way and let’s face it, when you are trying to have children holidays are just another occasion to remind you of what you are missing. In fact, I was just thinking the other day about how fast summer has gone and that Halloween will be creeping on us soon. My initial thoughts weren’t very enthusiastic and then it dawned on me that we have Kylie now and how much fun it will be to take her to the ward’s Halloween party this year and to trunk or treat!! It’s really strange that I’m so programmed to feel a certain way around holidays and even though we’ve had her for eight months now my brain still hasn’t adjusted entirely to the reality. What a lucky girl to bring so many smiles and happy memories wherever she goes.

We spent part of the weekend down at Jared’s parents down in Fayette. We went to the Gunnison parade in the morning and made sure to pick up some taco salads for lunch at the town celebration. Kylie was really excited watching the parade and was enthralled with the dancers when they stopped and danced in front of us. I thought she was going to jump out of the stroller she was so excited. Later that afternoon we drove back up to Orem where we met up with Vaylene and Jordan and went to dinner at Kneaders.

Here is the low down of how the Miley Cyrus Concert went. Was I glad I went? Yes. Would I go again to Stadium of Fire? Yes. Would I go again to see Miley Cyrus? No. Stadium of Fire this year was hosted by Glen Beck and Blue Man Group and Miley Cyrus performed. I imagined there being crowds of teenage adolescent girls but while there were some, it wasn’t to the extent I imagined. Blue Man group was fun to watch. But I was kind of bummed because somewhere along the way I’ve watched a TV special of their concerts. So it was cool to see them in person, but it was kind of like watching a concert for the second time. Serves me right I guess.

Somewhere along the line the cue for Miley to enter the stage didn’t happen at all like it was planned I’m sure. Poor Glen Beck was having to stall for almost five minutes, and when they finally announced her she didn’t show up on stage for probably another three or four minutes. So much for a grand entrance. The first half dozen songs she sang were off her new album, so of course nobody knows them very well yet. I wasn’t impressed much either, I doubt her second album will be as successful as her first. The last three songs she sang were really fun (because those were the ones everyone knows) and finally the audience could get into the swing of things.

The fireworks were a.m.a.z.i.n.g though! I would have gone again just for the firework show. They lasted for at least a half hour and were absolutely beautiful. I was a bit apprehensive about how Kylie would handle the fireworks in a stadium and had heard stories from friends whose babies had cried non stop throughout them. Even though she was up waaaaaaaaaaay past her bedtime I think she handled it well. She sat on my lap and watched them for the first ten minutes without much of a peep. I tried to pass her off to Jared or Vaylene for a few minutes and she wouldn’t have any of that. She’s never really been very clingly so I was surprised to see her prefer me to hold her (love it though!) She whimpered a few times during the last half of the fireworks show but she snuggled in my arms to feel safe from all the commotion and did okay.

All in all we had a great weekend and I’m already looking forward to celebrating the 24^th.

Sneak Peak

Yesterday we did the annual get-the-family-portrait-done stint. We went to Gardner Village this year. I was so wiped out! I was stressing out all day about what to wear and some of the logistics. And can I just tell you how hot it was! I thought I was going to melt away. It's so miserable when it's that hot.

Kylie did awesome though. I can't believe we got so many smiles out of her that late at night. She had a good time eating grass, dirt and plants. Absolutely everything she touches now goes in her mouth! She even fell off a chair the photog was using and took a head dive into the dirt. What a trooper. Here's a sneak preview. I'm so happy with these. They look amazing! I'll share more once she gets the rest done. I just hope there are one or two good ones of all three of us.

http://www.artphotographs.blogspot.com/